Dark Legacy
by LadyKayoss
Summary: The disturbing continuation to Moonbound. Rinoa's offspring could be more dangerous than their father...
1. The Beast Within

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of the characters involved.  
  
Author's Note: Heh, remember this series? I had intended to get this, the third in my werewolf story arc, out in January. Well, I was hit with writer's block when it came to this story. I rewrote the beginning three times. I still dislike this chapter, but I want to get on with the story, and I don't think I could do it any better right now. Maybe one day, I'll rewrite it and the final part of "When Darkness Falls." For now, though, you'll have to be satisfied with this. Rated for graphic images.  
  
DARK LEGACY  
  
Part One  
  
The Beast Within  
  
Rinoa ran, her heart hammering in her chest, her blood pounding in her ears. It drowned out the sound of the pursuit that she knew was there… She put on another burst of speed, aware that her strength was failing, that she couldn't maintain this pace, that death stalked her every move and she couldn't escape…  
  
She sprinted down a corridor that blended Garden's high tech features with the thick growth of a forest's heart. She sprang over a root mated with a computer desk, wincing as her foot caught the edge and she tripped and fell, rolling on the rug of springy moss beneath her.  
  
She tried to lurch to her hands and knees, but something slammed into her, knocking her sideways. She shrieked as a dark form towered over her, jaw full of teeth grinning down at her, eyes glowing a dull, bloody red.  
  
She shut her eyes, awaiting the killing blow. But after a few moments, the beast still hadn't moved. It was staring at her, eyes fixed on her abdomen. Rinoa followed its gaze, and her breath caught in her throat.  
  
Something was moving under her skin, pushing up and stretching her flesh. Rinoa screamed as the skin split, and a small, blood-soaked creature, a mirror image of the monster standing over her, climbed out of the ragged hole it had torn. The infant creature was joined by two others, tearing their way free. The pain was overwhelming, and Rinoa was so overcome by it that she failed to she when the first of the creatures crawled up to her face and plunged its muzzle into her eye –  
  
* * *  
  
Rinoa awoke with the scream still on her lips. She fought savagely with the covers tangled around her. She thrashed her way free, rolling off her large bed and falling to the floor with a cry, where she sat resting on her hands and knees while her head cleared.  
  
"It was a dream," Rinoa whispered to herself. Her head drooped down between her elbows, eyes squeezed shut. "Just another nightmare."  
  
Her eyes slowly opened, and her body shuddered. No… Not entirely a dream, she thought dully as she stared at the bulge of her belly, barely covered by her silken nightgown. That's the fifth dream like this I've had this past month… Everything's been going so well. Why is this happening now?  
  
Rinoa staggered to her feet, hand to her belly. Six months along… with the figure of someone close to term… Triplets… With great difficulty, Rinoa lowered herself to sit on the edge of her bed.  
  
Why are these dreams coming? Are they a warning? Are my children monsters? Are they… like Squall? Why didn't I take my father's advice and abort them?  
  
"My lady? Are you all right?" The maid's hesitant voice at Rinoa's door interrupted her thoughts. "I heard you screaming."  
  
"A nightmare," Rinoa said harshly. "Leave me alone."  
  
The maid ignored Rinoa, coming into the room and smoothing Rinoa's disarrayed nightgown. "These nightmares aren't good for you or your babies," the woman scolded gently. She began to push Rinoa down onto the bed.  
  
"Leave me!" Rinoa cried. "Just go away!" She hated all the pampering her father and his servants were giving her. She just wanted to be alone! She should have known that escaping from Garden wasn't enough.  
  
If I were alone, no one would stop me from preventing these children from being born… Why did I wait? It's too late now… and I haven't found a cure. Only my death could end this now…  
  
But she couldn't. She'd refused the abortion out of hope that her offspring would be normal, that Squall could live on in their children. Even now, she still prayed that they were normal.  
  
Her dreams were becoming bloodier, more horrifying. She knew they had to emanate from a beast like that which had inhabited and destroyed Squall. At least one of her children would be a monster; she was convinced of that. But not all of them. Please, don't let them all be cursed!  
  
Rinoa began to sob, and the maid came closer. "It's all right, my lady," she began.  
  
"I said to leave me alone!" Rinoa screamed, backhanding the maid. The woman let out a cry and scurried out of the room.  
  
Rinoa lowered her hand, mortified by what she had done. For once, she was grateful that pregnancy dampened a sorceress's powers, or she may have seriously injured the woman.  
  
She collapsed onto her plush bed, trying to make her awkward body comfortable. She huddled under her covers, afraid the nightmares would stalk her again.  
  
They're just dreams… They don't mean anything, Rinoa thought desperately. She rubbed her belly, feeling the movement inside. You're all I have left of Squall… You can't be monsters! You can't!  
  
* * *  
  
Rinoa's face was pale and drawn when she unsteadily limped to breakfast the next morning. Her stomach was still nauseous, and she knew she would be unable to eat much, as usual. Her appetite had diminished when her dreams had begun. With a groan, she collapsed limply into her chair. Jana, the maid from last night, brought her the toast and juice Rinoa customarily forced down every morning. Rinoa winced when she saw the bruise on the woman's face, but she knew apologizing to the servants would do no good; they always pretended nothing had happened.  
  
General Caraway was seated close by, his nose seemingly buried in the morning paper, but she could feel his gaze on her. He had begun leaving the house much later in the day, as though he were reluctant to leave Rinoa. The gesture both bothered and touched her. Bothered, because Rinoa hated being treated so delicately, and touched because he'd never shown so much concern for her before.  
  
When she'd shown up at the mansion two months earlier, after a short time hiding in Timber, Caraway had welcomed her home. She may have been a witch and a werewolf's bitch, as she'd called herself, but he had gravely listened to her story and offered his help. Home had seemed the perfect place to hide; she doubted her friends would look somewhere she'd so obviously hated. Assuming her friends had searched at all… Garden had been in total disarray with the deaths of Squall, Headmaster Cid, and Xu, as well as several other severe injuries. Sneaking out had been simple, and she'd wandered around for a while before discovering the true nature of the illness that had plagued her before Squall's death.  
  
What would they say at Garden if they knew? My friends have lost so much because of the beast in Squall. And now, it may return…  
  
A tear slid down Rinoa's cheek. She wished she dared talk to her friends. She wanted to know how Zell and Quistis were doing. Or Irvine and Selphie… I'm all alone… A sob escaped Rinoa's throat, and she buried her face in her hands.  
  
"Rinoa?" her father said awkwardly. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's nothing," she whispered. "I'll be all right." She knotted her fingers over her belly.  
  
"It's not nothing," her father said firmly. "What's wrong?" He stood up and walked over to her, placing one arm around her shoulder.  
  
Rinoa leaned into his chest. "I could be making the biggest mistake of my life; one that could endanger others. And I don't want to drag my friends into this! They wouldn't understand. They could get hurt. Most of them… already are hurt."  
  
General Caraway squeezed her shoulder. "You're lonely," he said, his voice quiet and thoughtful.  
  
Rinoa could only nod.  
  
"It'll be all right," Caraway told his daughter fiercely. "You'll see. Your children will be normal."  
  
Rinoa wished she could believe him. But she knew her dreams were telling her otherwise.  
  
* * *  
  
Blood. She wanted it, craved it, desired it. She needed it, from a still- living body, fresh and warm as it slid down her throat. She stalked silently down the hallways, hunting the prey she sensed nearby.  
  
She didn't want anything too large, not like the soft-fleshed humans that would prove difficult to kill, but there were other, smaller bodies who could slake her blood lust.  
  
There! Staring at her with wide green eyes, a creature with snowy fur watched her fearlessly. She'd teach it fear… Fear made the meat sweeter.  
  
With a cry, she sprang, her heavy body barely managing to land beside the cat. Her hands lashed out, her nails biting into the cat's side. It yowled in pain, but she ignored the cries and drew it closer. She delicately lifted the creature and placed her teeth around its throat. The blood was close… she could hear it, smell it… She bit down savagely.  
  
"Rinoa!" The horrified cried broke through her dreamlike state, and she dropped the limp cat, terror and disgust on her features. Blood ran from her lips and down her fingers where she'd grabbed the cat, and she automatically licked it off.  
  
Her father stood before, his face white as he knelt down by her. "What are you doing?" His body was tense, prepared to spring if she attacked. But his face was concerned, and he cupped her chin with trembling fingers, meeting her glazed eyes.  
  
"They wanted blood," Rinoa whispered. "They're monsters, father. Monsters. And there's only one thing I can do now to stop them."  
  
Caraway pulled his quivering daughter into his arms. "You're not going to kill yourself," he said, sensing the direction of her thoughts. "You'll find a cure. You were looking, remember? You can find a cure." He paused, his eyes thoughtful. "But you'll need help." He had an idea, and decided to try it.  
  
He held his daughter close the rest of the night, murmuring comforting words but refusing to speak of his idea. Finally, Rinoa fell asleep in his arms and, despite the urgings of his terrified servants, General Caraway stayed that way until dawn.  
  
* * *  
  
Rinoa lay on the sofa in the living room, the windows thrown open so she could soak up the sun. She was alone, as she had been for the past few days. All the servants were too frightened now to go near her, which she considered a mixed blessing.  
  
At least their inane chatter had distracted her from her brooding thoughts, the foremost of them being a desire for blood… Hyne, she hated this! Rinoa had always prided herself on her nonviolent ways, but ever since she'd met Squall, her whole perspective of life had changed. She was no longer as innocent as she had once been. And now she craved battle, longed for the violence it brought. It wasn't just due to the children within her, either. She'd lost her innocence.  
  
Her dark thoughts were interrupted by a soft sound at the entrance to the living room. Rinoa didn't bother to look; if the intruder wished to speak to her, they would come to her.  
  
"Rinoa?" The familiar voice made Rinoa stiffen. No… It can't be…  
  
A woman entered Rinoa's field of vision, small with long gray-streaked brown hair and achingly familiar blue eyes. She took in Rinoa's condition grimly.  
  
"Raine," Rinoa said, fumbling for a sheet to cover her body, to hide her distended belly. "Why are you here?"  
  
Raine seemed to pick up on Rinoa's fear because she suddenly smiled, albeit sadly. "Your father," she nodded towards General Caraway, who had come up behind Rinoa, "thought you would need someone around. Someone who will understand what you're going through and won't be frightened of you."  
  
"How did you get a hold of her?" Rinoa asked her father sharply. "You didn't ask Garden?"  
  
"Our president has been in contact with Laguna. It was a simple matter to reach her through him. Don't worry; Garden hasn't found out." Caraway sighed. "Now, I must get going." He gave Rinoa's hand an affectionate squeeze, then left.  
  
"I hope you don't mind me coming. When your father told me about your condition, and your… actions, I knew I had to come. Laguna didn't protest too much." Raine's face was sad. "Why are you keeping them alive? You know what they'll become…"  
  
"If there's a chance that one of Squall's offspring is normal, then I'll take it." Rinoa forced herself into a sitting position, wincing at the pain. The stretching of her skin was causing the scarred flesh along her side and across her breasts to ache painfully, and it often hurt to move.  
  
Raine took a seat beside her. "You're right… I don't blame you. Once, I would never have thought about killing unborn children, either. Hang on to those sentiments; they will keep you human." Raine abruptly shook her head as if to clear it. "Your father says you have a lot of trouble at night. Not surprising, considering the curse. Would you tell me about it?" Rinoa hesitated. "I only want to help," Raine encouraged.  
  
Rinoa poured it all out; her dreams, her violent emotions, her lust for blood and death…  
  
Raine's lips thinned. "I suffered from something similar. I don't think you can fight it, just make it more bearable.  
  
"How?" Rinoa cried. "I don't want to kill anything! What if I hurt someone? What if I become a monster?"  
  
Raine winced. "You're not cursed. You may have some empathy with your children, but you won't become like that. You're not a monster." Raine's gaze was stony. She had been cursed for nineteen years, turning into a wolf creature every night. Because of that curse, she'd been forced to give up her son and her ward, both of whom she'd later seen die. And her relationship with her husband was forever scarred. Rinoa felt selfish complaining about her own life when Raine's had been one of misery for so much longer.  
  
"I'm sorry," Rinoa whispered.  
  
"I'm used to it," Raine sighed. "But, as your desire for blood and meat, you will need to satisfy it or it could drive you mad." Raine's voice softened. "Let me hunt for you. And I can feed you in private, so no one will be frightened of you."  
  
Rinoa's stomach churned at the thought of eating raw flesh, but she found she was salivating as well. She hadn't felt this eager for food in a while. Could that be why she ate so little despite her condition? Because normal food would no longer satisfy her children?  
  
"I'm sorry you had to get involved in this," Raine said. "I'll help you however I can. Maybe if I'd been able to help Squall, it wouldn't have turned out this way. I'm glad your father's supporting you, too," Rain continued. "Though I wonder if he'll be so eager once he sees me tonight."  
  
* * *  
  
General Caraway took it better than they could have hoped. When Raine had transformed, her six-foot wolfish body had made Caraway's face pale, and he'd taken a step back. But despite the instinct to run, he held his ground when Raine bared her fangs in a sinister grin and flexed her claws.  
  
Rinoa whimpered at the surge of memories Raine's appearance caused, and Raine dropped to all fours and sat, suddenly looking more like a large dog.  
  
"My God," Caraway whispered. "I knew… But I never expected this…"  
  
Angelo, who had been sitting by the fireplace, growled and placed himself by his mistress's feet. Clearly, the GF remembered his battle with Squall as well.  
  
"She won't hurt us," Rinoa said, sounding unconvinced. She swayed unsteadily on her feet. "But she… needs to hunt." Rinoa couldn't bring herself to say why. "Could you show her the secret passage out of here?"  
  
Caraway nodded and left the den, his eyes never leaving the following werewolf.  
  
Alone, Rinoa limped up to her room, cursing the painful blow she had taken to her knee when Squall had attacked her. Raine, she'd noticed, seemed to have recovered from her own injuries from her final battle with Squall, the only indication she'd been seriously wounded being the scars hidden by her shaggy fur.  
  
Rinoa slowly readied herself for bed. She didn't look forward to the grisly nightmares that were coming more frequently. Last night, she had clawed herself, drawing blood along her forearm during one such dream. But at least no maids would come to her when she screamed; her father, realizing they might be terrified of Raine, had dismissed them. They would only come during the day to cook and tidy up, but they wouldn't stay more than a few hours.  
  
Rinoa was grateful for their absence. Though they had no knowledge of the truth, they must have had theories about her condition, from the rumors about the deaths at Garden and her feverish obsession she'd had with sorceresses and the supernatural before her body and mind became overwhelmed by her condition.  
  
If only they'd have just let her end it, she could have spared everyone the trouble.  
  
* * *  
  
Rinoa was awakened from a horrific dream, in which she was so hungry she'd begun to devour herself while Squall in his wolf form looked on, by a cold, wet nose gently nudging her cheek.  
  
"Go 'way, Angelo," she said thickly, struggling to pull herself from the gory images that haunted her mind. The nudging continued, and Rinoa forced her eyes to open.  
  
At first, she thought her nightmares had come true and Squall had returned to finish her off. Then she remembered: Raine. The older werewolf stood above her, cradling something that smelled of blood in her arms. She held it towards Rinoa.  
  
"I can't," Rinoa whispered, loathing the voracious hunger that made her reach out and accept the offering. How long had it been since she'd had a real meal?  
  
With great gusto, Rinoa tore into the raw flesh, stripping the meat from the bones and licking up the blood that trickled down her chin.  
  
Raine politely turned away, her ears drooping. Rinoa ignored the older woman's distress, ignored everything around her except the carcass she'd nearly consumed completely.  
  
* * *  
  
Raine left Rinoa's room, feeling ill. She had killed her own food before, true, but seeing Rinoa attacking the corpse like a savage beast sickened her. She cursed the sorceress that had brought this upon them as she padded down the hall to her room.  
  
I should kill the children in her womb, end this now. She may not carry the curse, but Rinoa will never be the same again after this.  
  
Raine sighed and settled herself on her bed, careful not to shred the expensive sheets with her claws. Her father says she's been listless lately. That she seems to have given up on everything. When she first came home, she was determined to find a cure; for me, and for her children. But she's lost her spirit. Did it die when Squall did?  
  
Raine didn't get much sleep that first night, wondering. How was she supposed to help Rinoa? The task seemed impossible.  
  
* * *  
  
Rinoa felt better that morning than she had in months. While she was still nauseous, a part of her felt satisfied.  
  
The rest of her just felt revolted. Her eyes were drawn to the pile of clean white bones on the floor, some of them broken with marrow extracted.  
  
Hyne… I hate this! Why did it have to come to this? Her life hadn't been perfect before Squall's change, but she'd been happy. She'd found friends and love, and she'd been making a real difference with SeeD, not just a couple of small strikes like with the Timber Owls, but actually saving the world!  
  
But now… She was starting to wish she'd never met Squall. Maybe she wouldn't have been as happy a she had been during those first few months with Garden, but she would never have found herself like this!  
  
Following the direction of her thoughts, Rinoa began to wonder: When had a part of her started to hate Squall?  
  
To Be Continued… 


	2. Carnival of Night

Disclaimer:  I do not own any of the Final Fantasy VIII characters in this story.

Author's Note:  Sorry this story is taking me so long.  And for those of you who enjoy the dark violence, that isn't in this chapter.  The fic kinda switches tone, but it will be darker again in the final part.  I'm dissatisfied with this chapter, too…  But it does introduce a major character, so have patience.

DARK LEGACY

Part Two

Carnival of Night

"Your friend Zell is awake."

Raine's calm statement startled Rinoa out of her usual morning lethargy.  Even though she was eating better and feeling less dispirited, she was still haunted by nightmares and was always in a stupor when she woke.

"Zell?" Rinoa repeated, a note of hope creeping into her voice.  The young SeeD had been in a coma since Squall had attacked him that Christmas.  It had been seven months since that fateful night, and Rinoa had feared Zell would never recover.  "How is he?"  Rinoa longed to go see him.  He had been a close friend, and it had been painful to see his normally energetic body lying still and limp.

Rinoa's hands tightened across her midriff, inwardly cursing her condition.  _Just one more month… Then I'll go see him!  Right after these three are born…  _

But she wanted to see him now.  She wanted to see all of her friends.  Raine had been a good companion the past two months, but she wanted to be with others her own age, people who knew her well and wouldn't try to get on her good side just because she was a high born.

People who wouldn't shy away from her because she was a sorceress…  Or a mother to monsters.

"What's wrong?"  Raine asked, and Rinoa realized her thoughts must be obvious. 

"I want to see him.  But I can't!  Not until…"  She gestured at her belly.  "They'll hate me," she whispered.

Raine leaned across the table, taking Rinoa's trembling hands in hers.  "They'll find out eventually anyway," she said softly.  "Perhaps now would be a good time to tell them, when it's too late for them to stop you from giving birth, and early enough to let them adjust to the idea.  Perhaps they may even be able to help you find a cure now."

Rinoa's lips trembled.  "You think I should see them?"

"You're in better control of yourself now that you're being properly… fed," Raine couldn't meet Rinoa's eyes.  "And you've all had time to get used to the losses, if not recover.  Though it might be physically hard on you," she gave Rinoa's figure a wry glance, "to make the trip from Deling City to Balamb, I think it will help you mentally."

Rinoa's eyes lit up, and she looked happier than she had since Squall's death.  "Do you really think I can?"

"As long as you don't exert yourself.  And I think your father will approve; he's worried about you spending too much time at home."

"Will you go with me?"  Rinoa pleaded, suddenly afraid.

"Of course.  Someone has to keep an eye on you."

And provide moral support if my friends want nothing to do with me… 

"Thank you," Rinoa whispered.  Then,  "What are we waiting for?  Let's go!"

*    *    *

She hadn't expected the long train ride to make her so weary.  Rinoa had tried to sleep during the trip, but she'd had another nightmare, and her screams had been heard through the private compartment's wall, and security had been called.

But at least Rinoa was now in Balamb, with Raine by her side.  The older woman squeezed her shoulder for comfort.

They immediately got a ride to the hospital, thanks to a driver who went faster than Rinoa would have liked.  From the anxious looks he cast in her direction, Rinoa guessed the poor man thought she needed to get to the hospital because of her condition.

At last they were there, and Rinoa stepped into the lobby, trying to summon her courage.  What would Zell do when confronted with Squall's potentially monstrous offspring?  She shut her eyes and took deep, even breaths.  "You can do it," Raine said from behind her.

_Maybe no one's here…  Rinoa went up to the desk and asked where Zell was being kept.  The woman looked uncertain until Rinoa told her she was a friend from Garden._

"Oh, another one?  You're group is already there," the woman said brightly, then gave Rinoa the location.

_Damn…  "At least I'll get this over with now," Rinoa said weakly.  She wondered how many of the gang were there.  Perhaps she would only have to explain once._

Raine chose to stay in the lobby, to give Rinoa privacy.  So she found herself heading towards a room where happy voices could be heard, even this far down the hallway.  She was surprised by the emotions the familiar voices caused; she hadn't she'd missed them this much!

The voices stopped as soon as she entered the hospital room.  She turned slowly, meeting the shocked gazes of a pale Zell, Selphie, Irvine, and Quistis.

"Rinoa!" Zell's weak voice broke the silence.  "I was hoping you'd come visit!  Come in!"

Selphie hastily vacated the seat close to Zell's bed, and Rinoa gratefully took it.  All eyes were on her.

"Hi, Zell," she said, her voice loud in the subdued atmosphere.  "I'm glad you finally returned to the land of the living."  She ignored the others, focusing on this one friendly face.  His eyes seemed large in his thin face, and his blond hair fell limply over them.  His smile seemed strained as he met her eyes.

"It's good to be back," he said, though his expression implied otherwise.  She saw his eyes shift briefly to his covered legs before returning to her.  _Of course… He's paralyzed…  To someone as active a Zell had been, this must be torture.  "I seem to have missed a lot," he said, his gaze now on Rinoa's midriff._

Selphie's eyes were shining. "She didn't tell us, either," she said excitedly.  "You never told us you were leaving because you were having a baby!  Why not?"

"Because it's Squall's."  Quistis's voice was flat, and everyone turned to her.  Rinoa flinched when she was the empty right sleeve of her shirt.  "Isn't it, Rinoa?"

"Yes," she said softly.  "_They are Squall's."  _

"Oooh," Selphie said delightedly, seemingly oblivious to the tension, "Twins?"

Rinoa's gaze didn't leave Quistis's.  "Triplets."

"Ouch," Irvine muttered.

"Are they killers, too?" Quistis persisted.

"Hey," Zell said.  "What matters is that she's here, and I got to see her before going back to sleep."

"You've been asleep for seven months," Irvine pointed out.  "Haven't you had enough yet?"

Zell really did look weary, and Rinoa was sorry she'd brought this on him.  "Maybe I should leave…"

"We have five more minutes," Selphie said.  "Stay, please?"

Rinoa glanced at the frowning Quistis, then met the others' pleading looks.  "All right.  But let's talk about good times, okay?"

Listening to her friends' lighthearted banter, Rinoa realized how much she'd missed it.  Now, if only Quistis wouldn't stare at her as if _she'd been the one who'd bitten off the woman's hand…_

*    *    *

They left Zell with great reluctance.  Selphie stayed at Rinoa's side at though determined to make up for Quistis's stony welcome.  She asked Rinoa excited questions about the triplets, her fingers brushing against Rinoa's belly.  Inwardly, Rinoa flinched from the touch.

She quickly steered the conversation away from herself.  "Zell seems to be holding up pretty well," Rinoa said softly.

Selphie's smile faded.  "He's pretending.  It's tearing him up that he may never walk again.  As soon as he recovers from his coma, they're going to send him to Esthar for more advanced surgery on his spine."

"What really hurts him, though, is that his girlfriend won't have anything to do with him," Irvine added.  "I told her when I went to the library that he was awake and… she didn't care.  She's already found someone new, and had no interest in a cripple."

"Poor Zell," Rinoa whispered.

"All our lives have been affected," Quistis said suddenly.  "Nothing's been the same at Garden.  Too many students have transferred, or quit altogether.  And Matron and I are having trouble keeping things in line now."

"She invited Seifer and the others back," Selphie interjected, grinning slyly.  "They're dating now."

Quistis flushed.  She rubbed her arm, exposing the stump at her wrist.  "What I'm trying to say," she shot Selphie a dirty look, "is that we don't need more creatures like what Squall became.  Please… tell me your children won't be that way."

She looked so desperate that Rinoa wanted to lie.  "At least one of them will be like Squall.  I can feel it."  The others stopped in their tracks and stared.  "That's why I need your help to find a cure.  I know we had no luck before…" Her voice cracked.  "Please!  I can't let Squall's children die!  They're all I have left!"

"We may have had no luck before," Selphie said solemnly, "but we can look again!"

"Anything for a lady," Irvine said, bowing to her.

"On one condition," Quistis said sternly.  "Keep in contact with us.  I'd hate to lose another friend."  She gave Rinoa a faint smile.

It was more than Rinoa could have hoped for.

*    *    *

Raine met up with them, and she had found Edea, who had arrived too late to see Zell.  Edea gently embraced Rinoa, offering uncertain congratulations.  She then offered to take Raine with her to Ma Dincht's, where she was staying to be closer to Zell.

"You could come too, if you're tired," Edea told Rinoa.  "Or you could go with the others to the carnival."

"The carnival?  I forgot!"  Selphie said enthusiastically.  "I told Zell I'd win him a stuffed chocobo!"

"He'd rather we brought him some hot dogs," Irvine said dryly.

A carnival?  She'd been to the one last year with Squall…  This could bring up too many memories.  On the other hand, she wanted to be one of the gang again.  "I won't be good company," Rinoa said.  "I can't go on any rides and I tire easily."

"That's all right!" Selphie said.  "I'll stay with you!  Just come, please?"

"It's supposed to be good this year.  They say there's this freak show run by the most incredible babe," Irvine grinned, then yelped when Selphie elbowed him in the ribs.

"Maybe if I ask, she'll take you on as one of the freaks," Selphie scowled.

"Now that I have to see," Rinoa said with a smile.  "I think I will go.  Just… be gentle."

"We'll be careful with you," Selphie promised.

"I meant with Irvine," Rinoa laughed.

*    *    *

The carnival was much as she remembered it: The crowds, the noise, the atmosphere of enjoyment.  Rinoa recalled coming last year, a month before Squall's curse.  They'd been so happy and carefree… Even Squall had laughed when she'd made a goatee for him out of pink cotton candy.  They'd been able to act like the young adults they were, not the heroes that had saved the world.

Hyne, Rinoa missed those days.  When she and Squall had battled through the crowds before, she'd seen the looks of envy from every guy and girl their age when they saw the attractive couple.

Now, she could only make her way slowly through the press of bodies, and sit alone whenever Selphie and Irvine went on rides.  Quistis had gone off alone, and Selphie had murmured that she was sneaking off to meet Seifer.

"Well," Selphie grinned as she plopped down next to Rinoa, a fluffy stuffed chocobo in her hands.  "What do you think?"

"Pink?" Rinoa eyed it skeptically.

"It was all they had left," Selphie pouted.  "It was either that or a purple tonberry!"

"So," Irvine said, taking the spot on Rinoa's other side.  "Are we ready to see the 'Lady of the Night?'"

"The who?" Rinoa asked blankly.

"She runs the freak show thing," Selphie supplied.  "Actually, I hear it's more like a circuit, and that she has an unusual menagerie."

"It's not just her menagerie I'm interested in," Irvine said slyly.  Selphie tried to reach across Rinoa to hit him, but failed.  "I'm sorry," she moaned when she saw Rinoa wince.

"It's all right," Rinoa said faintly.  "Let's go see this show.  Then we can go to the Dincht's."  _And Raine can get me something to eat, she didn't add.  She didn't think they were ready for her feeding habits just yet._

The others helped her to her feet, and they made their way to the large tent set up outside Balamb.  It was easy to get there; they had only to follow the flow of the crowd.

The sun began to set.  How appropriate, Rinoa thought, feeling uneasy.  The Lady of the Night.  So many terrible things happened when darkness fell.  She was starting to fear the night.

*    *    *

"The Lady of the Night?" Raine repeated.  "That sounds familiar."  She was standing at the opposite edge of town from the carnival.  She had glimpsed the large midnight blue tent and had asked Edea what it was.

Edea was watching the sun set, her face sad.  Her husband had died to protect her, forcing her into a crevice before using his own body to prevent Squall from killing her.  Ever since, there'd been an aura of sadness around her.  The same true with Laguna, Raine had noticed.  And Rinoa.

_My kind bring so much tragedy…  "Do you really want to see this?  I'll understand if…"_

"I don't fear you, Raine.  My husband was killed by a beast housed in Squall's body, not by you… or by Squall himself."

The sky darkened, and the transformation eased through Raine's robed form.  She quickly removed the garment before she could tear it, then sat on her haunches as the changes were completed.

Edea watched solemnly for a few moments, then said, "Good hunting, Raine.  I'll see you in the morning.  And I'll take care of Rinoa for you."

Raine nodded to show she understood, then sprang forward into the shadows.

Lady of the Night, indeed!  Raine could show that woman a thing or two!

But…  What was it about that name that tugged at her memory?  Raine slowed; then cocked her head towards the distant carnival.  She wondered if she dared creep closer for a peek.  Maybe she could jog her memory.

*    *    *

They'd gotten good seats, Rinoa noticed.  Very near the show ring.  They'd have an excellent view of what the so-called Lady had to offer, much to Irvine's delight. 

"What do you want to bet she has black hair and eyes and wears a tight black dress with cleavage down to her navel?" Irvine said dreamily.

"If that's her," Selphie said, pointing, "then I'll bet all my gil."

The woman who walked to the center of the ring with a cool indifference was indeed very beautiful.  She was pale, with long, flowing white hair and silvery-blue eyes.  She wore a conservative robe of midnight blue sequined with silver that didn't quite hide her perfect figure.  She barely looked older than they were.

_There's something strange about her,  Rinoa realized as long-dormant senses stirred at the sight.  __Who is she?  Rinoa looked to her friends, but their eyes were glued to the woman below as she welcomed them all to her traveling show, the Carnival of Night.  She collected rare, exotic beasts which she tamed for the pleasure of the audience._

"That's no big deal," Selphie murmured.  "We've probably fought more exotic beasts than she's ever seen.  Why's she making it all sound so mystical?"

"Would you pay to see the Lady of the Ordinary Animals?" Rinoa muttered.  But, despite herself, she was intrigued.  The woman drew her somehow.

As the Lady called for the first of her beasts to be brought out, Rinoa could have sworn the woman had been looking in her direction as well, with an unreadable gaze.  _You're getting paranoid, Rinoa chided herself._

"This is boring," Selphie sulked from beside Rinoa.  Rinoa had to agree; so far, the Lady had brought out beasts that made much of the crowd gasp, but had been fought by the SeeDs before.  They were nothing compared to some of the beasts they'd seen…

A T-Rexaur and a Grendel were brought out.   The SeeDs watched all of this with boredom, but now with puzzlement as well.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Irvine asked, finally voicing what had bothered them all.  "They can't be that well tamed.  How is she controlling them?"

Rinoa narrowed her eyes.  _Magic…_

*    *    *

Reya, self-styled Lady of the Night, watched the audience with bemusement.  _Fools… Cowering over something as paltry as a Behemoth…  Catering to the fears of these backwater townsfolk bored her.  But traveling with the carnival gave her an excuse to tour the world, while making extra gil.  And, with her reputation for the exotic and the horrifying, she was often able to learn about anything unusual the locals may have heard about but were afraid to tell anyone else about._

Her quest had provided her with several experimental specimens, as well as artifacts left over from the various sorceress wars.

She had high hopes for Balamb.  While it hadn't played a big role in any sorceress activities until recent years, the rumors of something that had rampaged through the Garden, setting the establishment on its way to a slow demise, had intrigued her.

What was the beast that no one would talk about, except in hushed whispers?  Reya planned to find out, to add it to her collection, to make it hers, body and soul.

A shocked cry from the audience brought her back to reality, and she forced herself to concentrate to tighten her hold on the Behemoth in the ring and bind it to her will.  So they were frightened of a little normal beast like her Behemoth?  Wait until they saw her specials…

She turned, and once again her eye was caught by the pregnant woman in the second row.  What was it about her? Reya shook her head.  It was nothing, she told herself.  There was nothing strange about the woman.  _But still… My feelings aren't often wrong…_

*    *    *

"What were those things?"  Irvine sounded baffled.  They had scoffed at the Lady's menagerie until she'd brought out her last creatures.  They'd been monsters in the true sense of the word, with too many eyes or limbs, or crooked, snaggle-toothed maws located in the wrong places, or flesh that seemed to ooze over bones in worm-like tendrils…  Rinoa had felt ill.

"From the Lunar Cry?" Selphie suggested.  They were nearly to the Dincht's home, where Selphie had said they were staying the night.  Rinoa was glad; she wasn't ready to return to Garden yet.

"Could some of them have been Guardian Forces?" Rinoa mused.  She halted, leaning her heavy body against a cool stone wall.  The others waited patiently for her to catch her breath.  "She had complete control over them."

"It's possible, though I've never heard of GF's that looked like that," Irvine grimaced.  "They were hideous!"  Then he abruptly grinned.  "Well worth my ten gil!"

Rinoa had to agree:  The creatures had been hideous.  Even her appetite was gone after glimpsing some of the beasts.  _Probably a good thing; I didn't want to eat near my friends, anyway._

"How did she do it?" Selphie wondered.

Rinoa resumed walking, thinking over what she'd seen.  Her preoccupied thoughts kept her from feeling the pain from her over-taxed body.  "Magic.  It has to be," she muttered softly.  But had the Lady been a sorceress?  And if so, was she foe or friend?  The prospect of another sorceress chilled her.  Suddenly, she couldn't wait for her babies to be born so her powers would return and she could go back to Garden.  She had the feeling she would be needed…

"Hey, Rinoa!  Smile!"  Rinoa jerked her head up when her name was called, and jumped when Selphie snapped a picture of her.

"What are you doing?" Rinoa demanded, half angry and half embarrassed.  She gestured at her swollen form, clearly visible through her blue-and-black gown.  "Do you think I want to be remembered like this?"

Selphie grinned.  "You might," she said cheerfully.  "Besides, the way you were standing with the moon behind you was very cool."  She nudged Irvine in the ribs, and he nodded in agreement.

Rinoa smiled wryly.  "Like the Lady of the Night?" she asked.

"Much cooler," Irvine said cheerfully.  "You're way prettier than her."

Rinoa blushed.  She knew her friends were just trying to make her feel better, and she had to admit it was working.  "Flatterers," she scolded.  "I know you're lying.  But thanks anyway.  It's no wonder I missed you so much!"

*    *    *

Raine approached the Lady's pavilion at an easy lope.  With the carnival closing for the night, she could get quite close.  Her nose wrinkled as she reached the midnight blue sides.  Something in there smelled… wrong.

She had figures out where she'd heard the name before.  It had come to her as she'd skirted the edge of the carnival, sharp ears picking up the excited conversations.  The Lady of the Night had been at Esthar several months ago, after Raine had returned with Laguna.  The woman had been asking penetrating questions about Adel, and the law enforcement had found the woman snooping around a restricted area.

As though she were searching for something…

"Hello," a cool voice said from behind.  Raine froze, here ears slicking back and lips parting to reveal her teeth.  There was something about the tone she hadn't liked.  "I knew there were some… unusual specimens in Balamb, but I didn't think I'd find one sniffing around my tent."

The Lady of the Night stepped out of the shadows that had concealed her.  Her eyes seemed to gleam with an inner light.  "A werewolf," she said, sounding unsurprised.  "I should have guessed one of your kind had wreaked havoc in Garden."

Raine's hackles rose.  This woman knew far too much…

"Did I shock you?"  The woman smirked.  "I have some familiarity with your kind."  She held up her hand when Raine tensed to run.  "Oh, no, you're not going to leave," she purred.  "I want to know everything."

Raine found she couldn't move.  But that was the least of her concerns because suddenly her whole body was on fire as her limbs twisted and shrank and her body changed against her will.

The Lady had reversed Raine's transformation!  "How…?" Raine managed.

The Lady only smiled.  "You will tell me everything."

Raine couldn't stop herself; she was compelled to tell the young woman everything, from her own curse up to bringing Rinoa to Balamb.

"The young woman in the crowd… I knew there was something odd about her," the Lady said smugly.

"Leave her alone," Raine hissed.

"Oh, I don't want _her," the Lady said.  "Nor do I want you, for that matter.  You're too old for my needs, and your disappearance would cause to many questions.  But, the werewolf cubs…"_

Raine fought against the compulsion that held her frozen.  She wouldn't let this woman take her grandchildren!

"I don't want to kill you; you're too fine a specimen.  But I can't keep you, either.  I'm going to let you go."

Raine stared in shock.  Was she really being set free?

"Of course, I can't let you remember all of this," the Lady finished.  She rested her fingers on Raine's brow, and pain flashed through her body.  Then she knew nothing.

To Be Concluded…


	3. The Real Nightmare Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story.

Author's Note:  I actually didn't intend to take so long with this chapter.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get it finished before my break from classes, so I had to delay it a week.  Once again, an unsatisfactory chapter.  I think I just don't like this story much.  The fourth installment of my "When Darkness Falls" series should be better, I hope.

DARK LEGACY

Part Three

The Real Nightmare Begins

As the moon rose, so did Rinoa, hands pressed to her belly as if they could sooth the pain.  _Two weeks until I'm due…  How will I survive it?  Sleeping at night was no longer an option.  As her children matured within her, they had started to change when night fell.  The agony she went through as her children transformed and became active made sleep impossible._

It also destroyed her hopes that at least one child would be normal.  If one were, its siblings would have torn it apart.

Rinoa staggered to her feet, feeling her way across the darkened room to her bathroom.  She'd found that painkillers were the only way to dull the pain her children inflicted.

Her doctor was horrified.  He was uninformed of the nature of her children, and couldn't understand why Rinoa's belly was so bruised.  And she hadn't told him about the blood she'd found as her children injured both themselves and her internally.

Raine and her father were urging her to induce labor, and she was close to agreeing.  But… she still didn't know what to do with her offspring!  Did she take them with her to Garden, as Selphie had suggested?  The young SeeD theorized that if they were raised in an atmosphere of love and kindness, they might be controlled, like a wild animal raised from birth.  Raine was becoming more and more insistent that the children be confined until a cure was found, if not killed.  General Caraway wouldn't say anything on the subject.  He was going to let Rinoa decide what was best.  She could tell it saddened him that his grandchildren weren't going to be normal.

A sharp pang made her drop to her knees, and she squeezed her eyes shut and willed her children to be still.  She gasped for breath, then heaved herself to her feet.  She was almost to the medicine cabinet.  Just a few more limping steps…

She fumbled for the bathroom light, then leaned across the sink to reach the cabinet.  She bit back a cry as her abdomen hit the sharp edge of the counter.  _Dammit!  She pulled down a bottle of pills, swallowing several dry.  She waited a few moments for them to dull her perceptions, blunting the pain within._

With a sigh of relief, she moved slowly back to her room.  She wouldn't be able to sleep, not until daylight, when her children slept, but she could relax a little.  She went towards the large, comfortable chair she had placed in front of her desk and settled into it, then turned to the task that had occupied almost every evening since Raine had arrived:  Finding a cure.

She'd taken out every book on sorceresses she'd found in her family's personal library, then every book in the public library.  Now, she was digging through the files Laguna had found in Esthar and sent to her.  It was all very disheartening.  All Rinoa had to show for her hard work was a small sheaf of notes that didn't tell her much_.  If only I could experiment with my magic…_

Rinoa picked up where she left off in the file she'd started reading last night, pausing occasionally to rub the nightgown stretched snugly over her taut flesh as a nasty blow broke through her wall against pain.  She took a break around midnight when Raine arrived, three gory carcasses hanging from her jaws.  The large wolf departed with a sympathetic look before Rinoa dug into the still-warm carcasses.

The food subdued her children for a time, and she went back to work determined, as always, that tonight would be the night she found the cure.

But again, no cure was forthcoming, and dawn found Rinoa asleep in her chair, twitching as she was plagued by nightmares.

*    *    *

Raine awoke her an hour before her noon doctor's appointment, an apologetic look on the older woman's face.  Rinoa groggily awoke, dressing with Raine's assistance.

They caught a bus to the hospital, and Raine left Rinoa there to do some shopping.  With the servants dismissed, she had volunteered to take on some of their duties.  Her years of living in the wild had made her miss such menial tasks.

Rinoa went through her checkup with all the dignity she could muster.  Afterwards, she brought up the matter of inducing labor, and was surprised that he agreed with Raine and her father.

"This isn't healthy for any of you," the man said seriously.  "I can't do it now, since I don't have time, but in about three days I can schedule you in."

"Please," Rinoa said softly.  _Just three more days…_

Raine still hadn't returned when Rinoa left the hospital, so she sat on a bench outside, eyes closed, and basked in the sun.

"Oh, my," a young woman's voice said cheerfully.  "You look ready to pop!"

Rinoa scowled as the speaker sat next to her, but the expression faded when she saw the woman's friendly face.  She was about Rinoa's age, dressed in the fashion favored by the other highborns her age, with a scarf covering her hair and a pair of sunglasses to complete the ensemble.  Rinoa thought she looked vaguely familiar, and realized how little she'd kept up on the Deling City nobility.

"Not quite yet," Rinoa said.  "I'm due in two weeks, but I plan to have labor induced in three days."

"Oh!"  the young woman said.  Then, "You're Rinoa, right?  General Caraway's daughter?"  She held out her hand before Rinoa could respond.  Rinoa shook, noticing the other woman had a firm grip.  "I'm Reya."

"Hello," Rinoa said, struggling to remember if she'd heard that name before.  But her attention was suddenly caught by Raine, who was waving Rinoa over to a taxi being loaded with groceries.  Rinoa heaved herself to her feet.  "That's my ride.  Maybe I'll se you around."

"I'd count on it," Reya said brightly.  Rinoa turned her back on the other, and missed it when Reya brushed a lock of her distinctive silvery hair back under her scarf.

*    *    *

_Three days… Do I wait, or strike earlier?  Reya paced her hotel room.  __I don't know what Rinoa plans to do with the cubs.  What if she kills them?  Or perhaps that werewolf nursemaid of hers will steal them away to raise far from people._

By delaying, Reya could be losing her best chance at snatching the cubs.  But, if she went and grabbed them tomorrow night, with one of her creatures to help her, she could eliminate that potential for loss.  It would mean that she'd have to force Rinoa to have them, but that didn't bother Reya.  Besides, she didn't want to stay in this forsaken city any longer than she had to.  She knew how to enter the mansion, too, using the tunnels she'd coerced the older female to tell her about.

Reya smiled.  This would be fun.  It had been too long since she'd allowed herself to indulge in something like this.  And, since the werewolf curse bred true, it would be well worth it.

Perhaps she could arrange for the pathetic sorceress to die during labor as well.  It never hurt to add another's power to her own, after all.

*    *    *

Raine trotted through the tunnels that led from Caraway's mansion, the only sound her claws ticking against stone.  Most of the monsters that had made the sewers their home had been driven off by her nightly rounds.  Since most of the beasts down here were not only inedible, but users of magic as well, it was just as well that they'd gone.

As Raine poised to leap over one water canal, her ears caught the faint sound of splashing.  Curious, she decided to investigate.  It was possible something bigger and stronger had decided to move in now that the other creatures were gone.

Raine silently turned a corner, then froze.  A woman stood in the middle of one waterway, her feet balanced lightly on the water's surface.  In the dim light, Raine could barely see the dark mass of the creature hidden in the shadows; only its shifting, oily hide was discernible. 

She made to take a step back, but the woman saw her.  A sinister smile twisted her pale lips, and Raine felt a strange sensation of déjà vu.

"Hello, Raine," the woman said.  "I was wondering if you'd show up."

_How does this woman know me?  There was a flash of memory – __a tent at night, pain, her body forced into its human shape, questions – and Raine's jaw dropped in an angry snarl.  __It's her…  The Lady of the Night!  What did she do to me?_

_Rinoa… she wants Rinoa!  No… it's her children she's after.  I have to stop her!_

Raine spring, leaping for the woman's throat.  But the Lady just smiled and stepped aside as if Raine were moving in slow motion.  Raine landed, remembering too late that the Lady had been standing on water as she was immersed in the murky, filthy liquid.  Raine struggled to breach the surface, but something wrapped around her thrashing leg, cutting off circulation as it yanked her farther down.

It was all she could do to keep from yelping in pain as the serrated tentacle dug into her flesh and drew her deeper.  Raine tried to claw at what held her, but her vision was going black.  Finally, she stopped struggling entirely.

*    *    *

Rinoa scanned the message Selphie had sent, feeling a little sad.  Zell was being sent to Esthar for the operation that could restore his mobility, and she, Irvine, Edea, and Mrs. Dincht were going with him.  Quistis had wanted to go as well, but she had elected to say behind and run Garden.

Rinoa wished she were going.  Leaving her friends after her visit to Zell had been difficult, and she still felt a pang of sadness that she'd had to leave.  But she hadn't wanted to be a burden, and she doubted the struggling Garden could manage her.  _Soon… I'll return soon… She patted her abdomen, feeling the movement inside.  __Just a little longer…_

She shut down her computer, then returned to her painstaking analysis of the files.  She only vaguely heard as, behind her, Angelo sprang to his feet, a low growl in his throat.  She paid no attention as the dog ran out of the room, ears laid back and teeth bared.  Rinoa only had eyes for the file in front of her.

_Why don't sorceresses keep records?  All she could find were observations of Adel's actions by bystanders who didn't have any familiarity with magic.  The file she was currently reading had been written by Dr. Odine.  __At least he almost seems to understand…  Too bad Adel had ordered most of his files to be destroyed.  Laguna had sent her all they'd been able to find, but there were very few left.  None of what they'd found had been very useful._

Rinoa groaned and leaned back to stretch.  She was so weary…  She barely slept even during the day because of her violent nightmares.  She resolved to sleep for an entire week after the triplets were born.

A scream made her jerk upright.  She barely felt the pain as her body hit the desk's edge.  Her whole attention was on the hitherto unnoticed noises drifting up from the floor below her.

_Father!  Rinoa got to her feet, wishing desperately she had her powers.  There was something down stairs, something that had attacked her father!  Instinctively, she grabbed her weapon from the shelf where she'd stored it, fingers flying to adjust it on her arm.  Then she crept out of her room and down the hall._

Focused on her goal, she forgot that her body was awkward and clumsy.  She forgot that she was weary, worn to the bone.  She forgot that she was one girl, alone, dressed only in a flimsy nightgown and armed only with a weak, long-range weapon.  Her warrior instincts, honed in battle, had kicked in, and she was going to defend her father and her home!

She followed the noise to the source.  As she neared, she could make out Angelo's baying amidst inhuman growls.  She jumped as a gunshot sounded, followed rapidly by two more.  What was going on?

She burst in on a chaotic scene:  The den was in shambles, the furniture reduced to splinters of wood.  The walls and floors had deep gouges in them, and pools of a green liquid that emitted an acrid odor that tore at her nose and throat covered the floor.

The cause of the mess looked like an unholy mating between a Hexadragon and a Malboro.  It had the six legs and night-black scales of the dragon, and the many eyestalks and tentacles of the plant monster.  Its disproportionately large jaws gaped, and the acid dribbled from between its jagged teeth.  

"Oh, shit!"  Rinoa couldn't contain the fearful cry.

Her father, hidden from sight by the creature's torso, cried , "Get out of here, Rinoa!"  There was something strange about his voice, and it jolted her from her shock as the beast turned to fully face her.

Rinoa didn't think; she fired her weapon at the closest of the creature's eyes, then awkwardly leaped aside as it spat a gobbet of venom in her direction.  Her weapon's blades struck two of the beast's eyes, enraging it but not seeming to hurt the creature.

_Fighting it is out of the question…  I need to grab father and get out of here…  But how?  The creature's attention was focused on her, with several of its other eyes directed to where her father must lie._

_Maybe Angelo…  Rinoa whistled, and the dog dove between a pair of the monster's legs to reach her side.   He'd been guarding her father…  Rinoa's unease grew._

"Angelo!  Rush!" she cried.  The dog launched himself forward, attacking the creature's face.  While it was distracted, Rinoa crept around towards her father, narrowly avoiding the creature's thrashing tail.

When she saw her father, she knew it was too late.  The beast had gotten him with its acid, and much of his lower torso had been eaten away.  With a sobbing cry, Rinoa fell heavily to her knees.  "Father!" she wailed.

"Get out of here," his voice was accompanied by a wet, gurgling note.  Rinoa tried to caress his face, but shrank back when her fingers sank into his cheek.  "Go," he said again.  Rinoa shuffled closer, ignoring the burning sensation as her abdomen brushed his acid-soaked flesh.

"I love you," she whispered.  The general's eyes closed, and Rinoa backed away.  _Get out of here…  There was no way she could face this monster alone._

She tried to shove herself to her feet, but her knees felt weak and wobbly, unable to carry her bulk.  The pain from the acid burn on her belly increased, and she knew she'd be in agony if she hadn't had the painkillers earlier.

She couldn't get to her feet!  Her limbs were shaking so badly…  Rinoa crawled towards the closest doorway, wondering how she could escape this fiend.  It had torn its way through the narrow entrance from the sewers; she doubted the manor's narrow doorframes would halt it.

Rinoa had just crawled into the shadowed hallway and prepared to whistle for Angelo when the GF gave an anguished whine, and the monster flung the dog's still form to the tiled floor in front of her.  Rinoa stared at the dog's half-melted body.  Even as she watched, he began to fade away.  With it went the bond she had shared with the GF since her mother had died.

"No!"  Rinoa screamed.  She'd never thought the creature could kill Angelo!  The Guardian Force had always disappeared before he could be seriously hurt.  But now…

He'd given his life for her.  Rinoa could only stare numbly at the spot where he'd been.  _No…  Her body suddenly gave out completely.  First her father, then Angelo…  Raine was likely gone as well… Rinoa leaned against the wall, shutting her eyes.  __It's no use… I can't escape in this condition!  Plus, she could feel the acid eating away at her abdomen.  It wouldn't be long before her unborn children felt it as well.  She placed her palm over the spreading wound, hoping the beast she sensed looming over her would finish her off before her babies felt the pain of being eaten away…_

"Halt!"  The voice made Rinoa's eyes snap open.  A woman stood beside the creature's head, stroking its scaly hide.  "He's a little eager," she said, almost apologetically, "but he won't kill you."

"You…" Rinoa choked.  She recognized the woman's flowing silver hair – the Lady of the Night, which explained the twisted beast.  And, as the woman approached her, Rinoa recognized her as Reya as well.

"Me," the woman smiled.  "Let me help you with your wounds."  Before Rinoa could react, Reya used a Curaga.  The burns on Rinoa's hand and stomach healed, leaving behind scarred tissue.

"What do you want?" she doubted the woman who had set a monster loose in her home to kill her family had helped Rinoa for a good reason.

Reya's smile took on a sinister gleam.  "The werewolf cubs."  She patted Rinoa's distended belly.  "I won't wait any longer; I'm taking them tonight."

Rinoa's eyes widened.  She struggled to get her feet under her, trying desperately to pull away from Reya.

"I don't think so.  I'm surprised you have the strength to stand – you're stronger than you look."  Idly, Reya flicked her and at Rinoa.  "Stop!" she commanded.

Rinoa's whole body went rigid.  Off balance, she fell, unable to put up an arm to break her fall.  She couldn't even cry out as her side hit the floor heavily.

"Better," Reya said calmly.  She eased Rinoa onto her back, repositioning her limbs into a better position.  Rinoa couldn't even shut her eyes.  She knew what the other had planned, and she didn't want to see.  _Just make this quick, Rinoa prayed._

"Sorry.  But this _will hurt," Reya said.  She pressed a hand to Rinoa's abdomen and sent a bold of Thunder through her body._

Rinoa couldn't even scream as the spell triggered the first contractions.

*    *    *

Reya knelt in a pool of blood, ignoring the dying sorceress.  Before her, each nearly the size of a single-birth infant, were three whimpering, furry forms.  She watched in delight as the creatures, near-perfect images of their father, wobbled around on their stubby legs.  _Far more advanced than a human child…  There were two females and a male.  All had fought fiercely, resisting being torn from their mother._

Reya picked up the smallest female, examining it with a frown.  While the others had dark fur, likely black, this one was a light brown.  And there was something strange about its features.

_So the runt's malformed…  Interesting.  She focused her attention on the male, already the strongest and boldest of the lot.  He was prodding at his still-frozen mother, teeth bared.  This one, Reya knew, was the prize.  He had fought hardest, and his eyes burned red when she had finally looked into his face.  Raine had spoken of a savage beast, an aura of evil, that had inhabited her before passing to Squall.  Perhaps this male now contained that beast__.  If I can just control it… Or even duplicate it…_

Behind  Reya, her crossbred creature suddenly turned its attention towards the open tunnel to the sewers.  After a moment, Reya could hear what had caught its attention:  The scuffling of claws on stone.  _Guess I'll just teleport out…  It was an easy enough skill for a sorceress, if she knew the destination._

She gathered the squirming cubs to her, momentarily pitying Rinoa when she realized what a burden the young woman had carried inside of her.  Then, she called her beast close to her.

Reya glanced towards Rinoa.  The sorceress still clung to life, barely.  She'd been torn up internally, as well as suffering from the shock of losing her father and a GF linked so closely to her.  Well, if she died, a sorceress's spirit was usually drawn to another sorceress to pass her powers to.  And if she lived…

Well, Rinoa was never going to be the same again.  Reya doubted she'd be a problem.

With a soft incantation, Reya, her monster, and Rinoa's triplets vanished.

*    *    *

Raine burst in on the scene, a growl low in her throat.  She had just awoken, bedraggled, bloody, and coated with the muck of the sewers, but alive…  Reya had again decided against killing such a "marvelous beast."

Clearly, she hadn't felt that way about Rinoa's father.  Raine scented his corpse through the lingering stench of acid, and found it barely recognizable.  Her heart in her throat, Raine searched for Rinoa.

There…  The young woman lay in shadows, but Raine could scent the blood and afterbirth around her.  _I'm too late…  She went to Rinoa, sniffing the young woman's pale face and wide, staring eyes.  Was she dead?  No…  Raine could barely discern the movement of her chest as she breathed, but the girl still lived.  __She's held by a spell…_

Raine's ears flattened when she saw the horrible wounds marring Rinoa's body.  _The children were torn __from her!  Raine felt sick.  But she couldn't allow herself to feel that way now; Rinoa desperately needed help._

There was a gurgling moan from Rinoa's lips, and she began to shudder as the spell wore off.  Then a scream escaped Rinoa's clenched jaws, a sound that wrenched at Raine's heart.

Still a long time until dawn… Raine went to the desk phone, knocked off its stand during the battle, and then, with great care, keyed in the emergency number with her clumsy claws.  Hopefully, the call would be traced…

Having done that, Raine went to Rinoa and cradled the sobbing girl.  She held Rinoa until her sensitive ears picked up the sound of someone arriving at the manor.  Gently laying Rinoa on the floor, she gave her a reassuring nuzzle, then fled down the secret stairway before the authorities saw her.

*    *    *

"She's very weak.  And she won't talk to anyone."  The doctor walked with Raine to Rinoa's room.  It was two days later and, despite her extensive search, she hadn't been able to find a trace of the Lady of the Night.

The official story was that a new creature that had taken residence in the sewer had broken through the secret passage, killed General Caraway, and attacked Rinoa.  The stress had been thought to have forced her into labor, and the creature had devoured her infants.  So far, no sign of the creature had been found.

Raine didn't think it wise to bring up sorceresses or werewolves.  The nobles of Deling were skittish enough about sorceresses, and were unaware that they had one in their midst.  And if they knew about werewolves, who knew what they'd do.

No, it was better this way.  Raine left the doctor by the door to Rinoa's room, wondering if the girl would approve, or if she'd want to tell the whole truth.

Surprisingly, Rinoa had drawn herself up into a fetal position, despite the pain it had to be causing her abdomen.  She'd buried her face in her knees, and her body was shaking.

"Rinoa," Raine whispered.

Rinoa stiffened.  One dark eye, ringed by a dark circle, met Raine's.  "Raine.  You're alive."  The voice was toneless.

"Yes."  She couldn't think of anything else to say.  She wanted to sweep the girl into her arms to comfort her, but restrained herself.  "She only knocked me out."

"She took them.  She killed father and Angelo, and took my babies.  I don't even know what they look like."  She lifted her tear-streaked face to meet Raine's.  Raine wanted to weep herself.

"I know."  Raine's voice cracked.

"It hurts…"

What could Raine say?  She almost said, "It'll get better," but she doubted it was true.  Rinoa had lost almost everything.

"I'm sorry."  Raine tentatively placed a hand on Rinoa's shoulder.  "I'll do everything I can to help; Laguna will, too."

"What will I do?"  Raine had never heard Rinoa sound so… broken.

"Go to Garden," Raine suggested softly.  "Your friends will help you.  They're your only chance.  And… they love you.  They won't let anything happen to you."

"I know," Rinoa whispered.  She leaned into Raine's touch.  "I'd like to go back.  I want to train to be a SeeD; I want to destroy Reya."  Rinoa's fists clenched around her knees.  She glared at Raine, as if daring her to put a stop to this.

"Do it.  She took away my grandchildren.  And… she knows something about werewolves, as well."

Rinoa's determination broke, and suddenly she was weeping again.  "Oh, Squall… I let him down.  I lost our children.  I've lost everything!"

Raine gave in to the urge to hold the girl.  Even so, she doubted Rinoa would ever take comfort in anything again.

The End


End file.
